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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27841039">Tradition</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aMantaRay/pseuds/aMantaRay'>aMantaRay</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>aMantaRay's Thrantovember [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Rebels, Star Wars: Thrawn Series - Timothy Zahn (2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Betrayal???, Force Sensitivity (Star Wars), M/M, Planet Hoth (Star Wars), Rebels, Thrantovember (Star Wars), Ysalamiri (Star Wars)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 21:01:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,184</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27841039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aMantaRay/pseuds/aMantaRay</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>“If the empire finds out about me, I’m dead. No questions asked.” He kept his gaze firmly on Ezra’s bright blue eyes. “If the Chiss find out about me, I’m exiled or suppressed. Males are forbidden to have the Sight. I’m hoping...I guess, if they see that I’m capable of navigating then they’ll break tradition and accept me.”<i></i></i>
</p>
<p>Not knowing who else to go to, Grey searches out Ezra to help teach him the ways of the Force.<br/>—<br/>Challenge is from queenie-chi-cosplay on tumblr.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thrawn | Mitth'raw'nuruodo/Eli Vanto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>aMantaRay's Thrantovember [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2001592</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tradition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day 22. It’s definitely not November anymore...but I plan on finishing these still. </p>
<p>Enjoy.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“The last time we spoke, you were about this big.” Ezra tilted his head, holding his hand to about mid thigh. “It’s good to see you again. You’ve grown. It’s Grey, right?.”</p>
<p>“Yes, Sir.” Grey smiled weakly, nudging Puddle up to his shoulders, pulling the edges of his black leather jacket closer to himself. He didn’t need much else to keep him warm on Hoth’s surface. Having Chiss in him had its advantages. </p>
<p>“I’ve grown a little. Nearly twenty two standard years now.” The imperial settled a hand over the ysalamir’s ears, giving him room to nuzzle into the warmth of his neck and the collar of his jacket. “I don’t remember much about us meeting though. I do apologize.”</p>
<p>Ezra waved away the apology with a gloved hand. “Don’t be sorry. You were just a kid. And just Ezra is fine. No need for Sir. I’m not that much older than you.” He pulled his furred hood closer to his ears, motioning toward the hidden base behind him. “Let’s take this further inside? It’s a little cold.”</p>
<p>The half Chiss hesitated, glancing back over his shoulder toward his custom TIE Defender. A gift from his papa. “Your people will leave my ship alone? It means much to me, and I did come alone and unarmed as requested.”</p>
<p>“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine, and it’ll be protected from the elements.” He started down the hall, expecting him to follow. “Your fathers, Thrawn and the Lieutenant Commander, do they know you’re here?” The groan from the large hangar doors followed as the base was closed for the evening, Grey’s TIE/d sitting just inside; curious rebels stepped closer to get a better look. </p>
<p>“No. Nobody knows,” he murmured, giving his ship one last look as he started after the Jedi. “I didn’t know who else to go to.”</p>
<p>Ezra shouldered open a door, motioning Grey inside, shutting it quietly behind him. “You’re scared,” he guessed easily, the question ending up more as a statement. The Jedi took a moment to turn on his space heater, unbuttoning his heavy jacket and letting it slide from his shoulders. “These are my quarters. It’s not much, but I’ve got heat, a place to sleep, a table, and a place to make warm caf.”</p>
<p>“I guess that’s one way to put it.” Grey stood uncomfortably near the table, taking in his surroundings. “No, this is plenty. A lot of imperials have much less than this.” He brought a hand up to steady the ysalamir as he climbed forward over his shoulder, clinging to his jacket. “Careful,” he mumbled. “You know your grip isn’t as tight in the cold.”</p>
<p>“This is Puddle, I’m assuming?” The Jedi asked curiously, taking a step forward and carefully offering up his hand to the ysalamir. “May I?”</p>
<p>The half Chiss hesitated before nodding, shifting Puddle into his arms. “Puddle, this is Ezra. He’s a Jedi. Be nice.” He rubbed a thumb against his chest as the lizard sniffed at the gloved hand, hissing, and turning, hiding his face away inside of Grey’s jacket. He chuckled. “Sorry, Ezra. He’s picky.”</p>
<p>“I’m normally pretty good with animals.” He pouted, offering for the younger man to sit. Ezra turned, pulling two mugs from the cabinet. “Caf?”</p>
<p>“Please. Water for Puddle, if you have any?” He sat slowly, curling Puddle close to his chest, wrapping the jacket around him to keep him warm. </p>
<p>“Of course.”</p>
<p>With both sitting at the table, nursing mugs of warm caf, Ezra met the half Chiss’ crimson eyes. “I have to say, I was a bit surprised to hear from you. Generally, you don’t hear from your sworn enemy’s son, especially knowing he’s about to graduate from the Royal Imperial Academy.”</p>
<p><em> Sworn enemy...ouch. </em> Grey took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Look...like I mentioned earlier, I-I didn’t know who else to go to. I’ve known about my Sight for a few years now, and I know now that it's been Puddle who’s been blocking it.” </p>
<p>He dropped his gaze to the table between them, a frown sliding onto his lips. “I was back on my Papa’s people’s planet a few nights ago, and I overheard my Papa and my <em> G’en’vti </em> - my Uncle - discussing me. They’ve known about my Sight my entire life and...and well, they never told me. They want to suppress it somehow. They said it was you who had made them aware of the situation.”</p>
<p>“Wow.” Ezra leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms comfortably across his chest. “Your dads are even bigger jerks than I thought, no offense.” He added quickly at the end. </p>
<p>“My dads mean well.” Grey’s shoulders sagged. “They do. They love me, and they do want what they think is best for me.” He settled a hand on the orange lizard’s back, rubbing over his flexible spikes while he lapped up the water, ears twitching as he listened to Grey’s voice. “They want to protect me from the empire, and they want to protect me from the Chiss.”</p>
<p>The Jedi was quiet while he considered. “When I spoke to the Commander years ago, I had offered to be your teacher - to help you grow and wield the Force properly. He refused. Not that I blame him. I am on the opposite side of the war.”</p>
<p>He’d offered before? “Will you...will you still teach me? Please?” Grey leaned forward in anticipation. “I want to learn. I don’t want to hurt anybody if I can’t control it properly. And...and I could leave with my parents. I could help them get out.”</p>
<p>“Your parents would leave the empire? And what? Join the resistance? We’ve been battling Thrawn for years. Why now?” His frown deepened. </p>
<p>“No, not the resistance.” He shook his head quickly. “We would go home. To his home. His <em> people</em>.”</p>
<p>Ezra hadn’t been expecting that. “The Chiss?”</p>
<p>Grey inclined his head, tucking Puddle back into his jacket as he clawed his way back onto his shirt. “Yes. We could go home. My dad and my papa could help to protect the Chiss from the dangers in the unknown regions. I could help navigate. I could get us there safely, and I could help the fleets. I <em> want </em> to be a Navigator.”</p>
<p>“I’m confused. If they wanted to go home, why haven’t they asked me to teach you? Why try and suppress your abilities instead?” </p>
<p>“If the empire finds out about me, I’m dead. No questions asked.” He kept his gaze firmly on Ezra’s bright blue eyes. “If the Chiss find out about me, I’m exiled or suppressed. Males are forbidden to have the Sight. I’m hoping...I guess, if they see that I’m capable of navigating then they’ll break tradition and accept me.”</p>
<p>“Besides, if the three of us are away from the empire, it helps you with your resistance too, right? You won’t have to fight my Papa anymore.” Grey bit his lip, searching his face as he asked again. “Will you teach me? Please?”</p>
<p>It was a win-win for both of them…</p>
<p>Ezra grinned. “Yeah, I’ll teach you.”</p>
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